Still, Burrow believes he could have done more, as the Bengals missed the playoffs for a second straight season and now are revamping the defense under new coordinator Al Golden. Burrow hopes to do his part to ensure he and his teammates aren’t watching the postseason again from afar.
Perhaps there’s another level to reach now a full season removed from his 2023 wrist surgery. He has all of his weapons back, along with a few tweaks to the interior offensive line and the return of third-down running back specialist Samaje Perine.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
That will all start to take shape in less than a month when training camp kicks off, but first let’s take a look at Burrow’s 2024 season, where he is expected to stack up among other quarterbacks in the league this year and what the rest of the quarterback room looks like with data by Pro Football Focus.
This is the first in a series of pieces breaking down each position group for the Bengals.
QUARTERBACKS ON THE ROSTER
Starter: Joe Burrow
Backup: Jake Browning
Others: Logan Woodside, Payton Thorne
BURROW BY THE NUMBERS
2024 stats: 4,918 yards passing, 43 TDs, 9 INTs, 70.6 percent pass completion rate, 108.5 passer rating, 48 sacks, 9-8 record
PFF grades for 2024: Burrow earned an overall offensive grade of 94.0 and ranked second among 42 quarterbacks that qualified based on minimum snaps. He also earned a passing grade of 93.0 (also ranked second best) and No. 18 in run grade at 74.8.
Where he ranks in 2025: Pro Football Focus ranks Burrow as the second-best quarterback, going into 2025 behind Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and ahead of Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, who was ahead of Burrow in 2024. PFF’s John Kosko rated Mahomes, Burrow, Jackson and Buffalo’s Josh Allen in the “Tier 1: Elite” category.
BROWNING BY THE NUMBERS
2024 stats: Appeared in three games but didn’t attempt a pass, coming in just briefly behind a healthy Burrow.
2023 stats: 1,936 yards, 12 TDs, 7 INTs, 70.4 percent pass completion rate, 98.4 passer rating, 24 sacks, 4-3 record in his seven starts and nine appearances when Burrow was injured.
PFF grades for 2024: N/A (not enough snaps)
PFF grades for 2023: Browning had a 79.3 overall offensive grade, just above Burrow’s as the 16th best among qualifying quarterbacks. He had a 74.4 passing grade (19th) and 87.8 run grade (fifth).
No projections for 2025
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
FURTHER ANALYSIS
As good as Burrow was last year, his injury history still follows him and that might be the thing still keeping him behind Mahomes, whose grades have slipped the past two seasons.
Mahomes dominance from 2018 through 2022, blending “poise, playmaking and postseason performances” like no one else, kept him in the top spot, but Kosko said the margins have never been slimmer between No. 1 and No. 2.
“The only real knock on Joe Burrow is that he hasn’t entered a season at full strength in years,” Kosko wrote. “But when he’s right, there may be no one better. Burrow’s 93.5 passing grade and 95.2 overall grade over the past three seasons lead all quarterbacks, and his 51.3% success rate over that span ties Josh Allen for second-best in the league. If the Bengals can field even a league-average defense, Burrow would give them a real shot at winning the AFC every year.”
Aside from leading the league in passing yards, touchdowns and completions last season, Burrow also ranked first in “big-time throws,” with 38, according to PFF, and finished the year as the most valuable player in the league, according to PFF WAR.
PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote that Burrow is “surgical in the quick passing game,” noting he racked up 2,863 yards on quick hitters (most in the NFL), with 17 big-time throws in those situations. More than 54 percent of that production came via air yards. In quick passes with under 2.5 seconds to throw, Burrow posted a passing grade of 93.8.
About the Author